The Neuropsychotherapist Issue #4

THE NEUROPSYCHOTHERAPIST

Issue #4 (Jan-March 2014)

ISSN 2201-9529

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CONTENTS

WELCOME TO THE FIRST EDITION of The Neuropsychotherapist for 2014. One of the greatest fascinations concerning the human mind is the profoundly complex nature of its integration with the body, the environment, relationships, genetics, and our cognitive and emotional history, to name but a few key areas. There are so many variables that the mind boggles (at least, the right hemisphere stands in wonderment; the left is probably working hard to pin down all these variables with tracking IDs and little boxes…). It is precisely for this reason that it behoves us to become educated across a broad range of subjects: epigenetics, orthomolecular nutrition, environmental toxins, and other not-traditionally-psychological variables that have a demonstrable effect on mental well-being.

To this end we are pleased to present in this issue, from accomplished naturopath Duane Law, a brief but rigorous overview of the role of food in our mental well-being in Food and Feelings: Nutrition and Mental Health. Along the same lines, Robert Hedaya, MD talks up nutrition and mental health with Dr. Dave in the Shrink Rap Radio interview Whole Psychiatry. I appreciate so much the insight Dr. Hedaya brings to us from a psychiatric practice that acknowledges the gaps in our understanding from any single standpoint, and is willing to apply a multidisciplinary flexibility to fill in some of the blanks. I think you will appreciate some of his stories from practice and especially the vital role vitamins and nutrition play in mental health.

If you have not read Iain McGilchrist’s book The Master and His Emissary, then his feature in this issue, Hemisphere Differences and Their Relevance to Psychotherapy, will definitely whet your appetite for what I believe is a masterpiece. I am certain that all our readers would have some conception of hemispherical differences of the brain, but I could not have drawn conclusions about the broad and profound impact this has on the individual and our society until I started reading McGilchrist’s very important work. This is a must read.

Respected human behaviour specialist Richard Hill and I survey the current neuroscience landscape in What’s Hot in Neuroscience for Psychotherapy, focusing in on what we believe to be the major issues that are, or soon will be, changing the way we think about our clients and our therapeutic practice. There truly is so much going on that we could not hope to cover all, but What’s Hot offers a sense of perspective to the practising clinician on the currents that may influence our professional future.

Massimo Ammaniti and Vittorio Gallese do a wonderfully detailed job of describing the physical and resulting mental changes that occur when women become mothers, in their article Neurobiological Basis of Motherhood. The nature of motherhood and the experiences of the infant are absolutely fundamental to the development of healthy minds, setting the scene for mental health in adulthood.

Finally, for our feature articles, Pieter Rossouw gives us a historical perspective on neuropsychotherapy in The Neuroscience of Talking Therapies: Implications for Therapeutic Practice.

As this issue marks our first year of publishing The Neuropsychotherapist, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the team who have helped get this publication off the ground and you, our subscribers, for supporting us in our worthwhile endeavour. This is certainly an exciting field, and we are living in a remarkable time of discovery and breakthroughs. I look forward to bringing you more insights and awareness for your practice and personal growth in 2014.

Happy New Year!

-Ed.

Features

WHAT’S HOT IN NEUROSCIENCE FOR PSYCHOTHERAPY
Richard and Matthew take us on a survey of the world of neuroscience and what hot topics are likely to be important for informing psychotherapy.Richard Hill & Matthew Dahlitz

HEMISPHERE DIFFERENCES AND THEIR RELEVANCE TO PSYCHOTHERAPY
A brief review of Iain McGilchrist’s study of hemispherical differences of the brain and how these differences impact psychotherapy, relation- ships, and ultimately our society .Dr. Iain McGilchrist

NEUROBIOLOGICAL BASIS OF MOTHERHOOD
Massimo Ammaniti and Vittorio Gallese give a detailed review of the important neurobiological aspects of motherhood. The complex interplay of hormones, genes, and neural activity is presented to explain the unique abilities of a mother’s brain to look after her offspring.Dr. Massimo Ammaniti & Dr. Vittorio Gallese

THE NEUROSCIENCE OF TALKING THERAPIES
Pieter Rossouw gives us a brief history of the new paradigm we call neuropsychotherapy and the implications a neurobiological view of psycho- pathology is having on psychotherapy today. Dr. Pieter Rossouw

FOOD AND FEELINGS: NUTRITION AND MENTAL HEALTH
What we put into our bodies affects our men- tal health, sometimes dramatically. Duane Law highlights some of the key areas of nutrition that psychotherapists should be aware of when con- sidering the multitude of variables that affect our mental well-being.Duane Law

WHOLE PSYCHIATRY
Robert Hedaya brings us a wealth of knowledge from his psychiatric practice, focusing in on the role of nutrition in our mental health.Dr. Robert Hedaya

The Neuropsychotherapist

Your source for news and information associated with the multidisciplinary field of Neuropsychotherapy. We aim to raise the profile of this clinical world view and encourage its therapeutic practice while upholding high scientific standards and professionalism.

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